Arkansas

Agreement will not impact residential ratepayers

Mar 11, 2008 -- LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe announced today that he is contacting legislators to determine support for an agreed increase of the severance tax on natural gas in Arkansas. The agreement will create an ongoing roads program for Arkansas without increasing natural-gas rates for residential Arkansas customers. Discussions ended yesterday when representatives of the natural-gas industry agreed to Governor Beebe's proposal.

Terms of the agreement include:    » read more »

March 5, 2008, LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) will close this week in Izard, Pope and Sharp counties, state and federal recovery officials announced today.

The closing DRCs, their addresses, and closing dates are as follows.

Closing Friday, March 7:
Izard County Mobile DRC
Melbourne City Hall
114 W. Court St.
Melbourne, AR 98103
The Izard County mobile DRC will be open at this location Wednesday-Friday, March 5-7 only.
Hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Closing Saturday, March 8:
Pope County DRC
Assumption Catholic Church
McKee Hall, 103 N. Ave. 4    » read more »

February 26, 2008, LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved a grant of $137,552 to the state's mental health agency to supplement state efforts to provide crisis counseling services for those affected by the Feb. 5 severe storms, tornadoes and flooding.

The federal funds will support counseling in Izard, Sharp, Stone and Van Buren counties. Counseling services in other counties will be funded by the state's mental health agency, the Division of Behavioral Health Services of the Arkansas Department of Health and Human Services.    » read more »

February 21, 2008, ARLINGTON, VA -- U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign today announced that former Arkansas Congressman Asa Hutchinson has endorsed John McCain for president.    » read more »

February 13, 2008, WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will deploy mobile homes from its Hope, Ark. facility for use as disaster housing in support of the recent tornadoes in Arkansas and Tennessee. The mobile homes will be used to provide temporary housing for eligible applicants who suffered damages to or losses of their homes until the residents are better able to make other, more permanent arrangements.    » read more »

Feb 13, 2008 -- LITTLE ROCK (February 13, 2008) -- The Arkansas AFL-CIO on Wednesday announced its support for the HOPE for Arkansas Scholarship Lottery Amendment.

“We’re proud to do this on behalf of Arkansas’s workers,” Alan B. Hughes, the labor organization's president, said during a morning news conference with Lieutenant Governor Bill Halter at the state Capitol.    » read more »

February 12, 2008, LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas -- The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced today three additional counties are eligible for the Individual Assistance program. Now more homeowners, renters and businesses can receive assistance to help recover from the tornadoes on February 5.

The original disaster declaration of February 7, 2008 was amended to include Conway, Izard and Randolph as eligible for FEMA Individual Assistance programs. The residents of the previously designated counties of Baxter, Pope, Sharp, Stone and Van Buren remain eligible for this program.    » read more »

February 11, 2008 -- The Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will continue to support the states impacted by the severe storms and tornadoes.

FEMA is closely working with its state and local partners to assess damage and identify needs. Specialists from the agency are on site to support the response efforts already underway. Regional activities are as follow:

Tennessee
Status

* 1 shelters; 11 people (TN EMA/Region IV – 02/10/08 – 4:30 p.m. EST)    » read more »

Feb 11, 2008 -- LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe has added Franklin, Marion and Newton Counties to the list of state disaster areas due to the damage caused by powerful tornadoes and violent thunderstorms on Tuesday, February 5, taking the total to 13 counties. Beebe previously made declarations for Baxter, Conway, Independence, Izard, Pope, Randolph, Sharp, Stone, Union and Van Buren Counties.    » read more »

Feb 9, 2008 -- (Little Rock) The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) is receiving reports from concerned citizens about a possible outbreak of 300 plus cases of tuberculosis (Tb) and an outbreak of Hansen’s Disease (leprosy) in Benton, Washington and Sebastian counties). There are no outbreaks of either disease in the state.    » read more »

February 7, 2008 -- The President today declared a major disaster exists in the State of Arkansas and ordered Federal aid to supplement State and local recovery efforts in the area struck by severe storms, tornadoes, and flooding beginning on February 5, 2008, and continuing.    » read more »

07 February 2008 -- Emergency teams are fanning out across several U.S. states to assist survivors of violent storms that killed at least 55 people.

Federal and state workers spread out across the southeastern United States to clean up debris and help victims of the deadly tornadoes that swept through the area late Tuesday and early Wednesday. The twisters blocked roads, cut power to many residents and triggered an explosion that shut down a gas pipeline in Tennessee.    » read more »

Feb 7, 2008 -- LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe has declared Baxter, Conway, Independence, Izard, Pope, Randolph, Sharp, Stone, Union and Van Buren Counties state disaster areas due to the damage caused by powerful tornadoes and violent thunderstorms on Tuesday, February 5. Governor Beebe toured damage sites in Pope, Van Buren, Baxter and Stone Counties, meeting with storm victims and local officials who are coordinating recovery efforts.    » read more »

February 05, 2008 -- Little Rock, AR - Former Arkansas Governor and Presidential Candidate Mike Huckabee has issued the following comment in response to the tragic deaths as a result of severe weather in Arkansas:    » read more »

06 February 2008 -- In a display of natural fury unusual for this time of year, tornados and violent thunderstorms have killed at least 50 people in five south-central states.

Rescue crews are hard at work in a wide area hit by tornadoes overnight Tuesday. In Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee and Kentucky storms killed and injured people and damaged homes and places of business. In many areas power lines are down and streets are filled with debris.

One of the worst hit areas was Jackson, Tennessee, where local resident Michael Denny described what the storm's devastation.    » read more »